Flatiron supporting mechanism



Jan. 19, 1943-. R, Q STEVENSON 2,308,941

FLATIRON SUPPORTING MEcHANlsM I Filed Aug. 27, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 147Min Jan'. 19, 1943. Rf o, STEVENSON 2,308,941

FLATIRON SUPPORTING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 19, 1943 FLATIRON SUPPORTING MECHANISM Robert 0.Stevenson, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Proctor & Schwartz, Inc.,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 27,1940, Serial No. 354,436

9 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for supporting a nat-iron away from anoperating surface Whenever the iron is not being used. The principalobject of the invention is to provide an improved device of thischaracter embodying certain novel features which render the device animprovement over prior devices of the same class.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be operated with a minimum amount of effort on thepart of the user and which eliminates entirely any necessity for liftingthe iron during use.

A further object of the invention'is to provide a device of thischaracter wherein the supporting means for the iron has an associatedlatching mechanism which may be tripped by a fingeroperable element tocause the iron to tilt upward on itsv support, and when it is desired toagain use the iron, the supporting means may be moved to inoperativeposition simply by pressing downward on the handle of the iron whereuponsaid latching mechanism -operates automatically to latch said supportingmeans in said inoperative position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter wherein the latch tripping mechanism includes a triggerelement depending from the handle of the iron and operable by the usersforefinger.

These and other objects of the invention, and the various features anddetails of the construction and operation thereof, are hereinafter fullydescribed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the flatiron showing a substantialportion thereof in section to illustrate the mechanism provided by theinvention, the parts being shown in position for use of the iron;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the latchingmechanism after the same has been tripped preliminary to causing theiron to tilt upward on its support;

Figure 3 is a View in section taken on line 3-3 0f Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 most part, the handle ishollow to accommodate the parts described hereinafter. The body I butShowing the iron in tilted position with the operating parts positionedaccordingly; and

Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the part-s of the support andlatching mechanisms in perspective.

Referring to the several views of the drawings, the fiat-iron comprisesa flat-iron body I and a handle 2 xedly secured thereto. For thecomprises the usual sole plate 3 and cover 4 which, in the presentinstance, extends beyond the rear of the sole plate to provide arearwardly-extending hood 5.. A supporting plate 6 is secured to therear of the sole plate and has turnedup ears 'l for supporting atransverse pin 8 upon which the iron-supporting member 9 is pivotallycarried.

'I'he supporting member 9 has forwardly-extending feet I0 which extendlongitudinally of the iron and are normally disposed within recesses IIin the body I, as shown in Figure 1. 'I'he supporting member 8 alsocomprises a pair of arms I2 which extend upwardly into the handle andwhich carry at their ends a cross-pin I3 (see Fig. 5). A cross-bar I4extends between arms I2 and carries a screw I5 to which is anchored therearward end of a heavy coil spring I1, the forward end of which issecured to a latch member I8 at I9.

When the supporting member is in its inoperative position, as shown inFigure 1, the spring I1 is under tension, so that it tends to rotate thesupporting member clockwise relative to the iron, as viewed in Figure 1.In other words, the spring urges the supporting member to its operativeposition shown in Figure 4, but the supporting member is normally heldin its inoperative position by the latching mechanism now to bedescribed and including the aforesaid latch member I8.

'Ihe latch member I8 is pivotally secured intermediate its ends at 20 tothe forwardly extending lug portion 2| of a bracket 22 which in turn issecured to and extends upwardly from the forward vertically extendingportion 23 of the supporting plate 6. The said latch member at its lowerend has a slotted extension I8a (see Fig. 5) through which a screw 24projects, the screw being fastened to bracket 22 and portion 23 of plate6. The head of the screw serves as a stop against which the slottedextension I8a of member I8 normally rests. The latch member I8 projectsupwardly into the handle 2 of the iron and has its upper end formed toprovide a latch portion 25 for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

Pivotally mounted on the lug 2l is a member 26 comprising rearwardlyextending spaced arm portions or bifurcations 21 and 28, respectively.Of these, the lower arm 21 has its free end formed to provide a cam edge29 of predetermined curvature, and the upper arm 28 his pivotallyconnected to its free end portion, by means 'of a pivot pin 3U, an armor lever 3| which extends forwardly of the iron Within the handle 2thereof.

Secured to a pin 32 on the arm or lever 3| is a spring 33 the free endof which engages the upper interior wall of the handle 2, therebyconstantly urging the lever 3| in a clockwise direction about its pivotpin 30. Also, the arm or lever 3| is formed to provide a latch portion34 thereon adapted to coopcratewith latch portion 25, as illustrated.

For the purpose of `tripping or disengaging the latch portion 34 fromthelatch portion 25 there is provided a trigger member 35 pivotally mountedwithin the forward portion of the handle 2, the pivot pin being shown at36. This trigger member is arranged to engage the forward end of the armor lever 3|. A portion of said trigger member 35 projects outwardly ofthe handle 2 through an opening 31 in the underside thereof, and thearrangement is such that it may be actuated to release the latch 34 bythe foreiinger of the hand used to grasp the handle 2.

When the flat-iron is being used, the parts are disposed as illustratedin Figure 1, the member 26 being latched by the lever 3|, and the camedge 29 engaging the cross-pin I3 to maintain the supporting member 9 ininoperative position. It will be noted that the lever 3| engaging thelatch member I8 holds the member 26 in the position illustrated, therebymaintaining the cam edge 29 in effective position. Thus the member 26constitutes a retaining member for holding the support 9 in inoperativeposition.

When it is desired to discontinue the use of the fiat-iron, the userengages the latch-tripping member 35 with the forenger, moving the saidmember clockwise about pivot 36 and causing lever 3| to move upwardly|against its spring 33 until the latch portion 34 is disengaged from thelatch portion 25, whereupon the member 26 is pivoted slightly (see Fig.2) to free its arm 21 and the cam edge 29 from the cross-pin I3. Thespring I1 is thus allowed to become effective to cause relative movementbetween the fiat-iron and the supporting member 9 when pressure isreleased from the handle 2, and since the arms I cannot move beyond theworking surface on which the iron is placed, the effect of the springaction is to tilt the iron upward to the position shown in Figure 4, atwhich time the iron is completely removed from the ironing surface andrests entirely on the supporting legs I0.

During this tilting movement of the iron, the cross-pin I3 carried bythe support arms I2 moves forwardly in the slot-like space between thearms 21 and 28 of the member 26 and, as shown in Figure 4, the pin I3engages the inner edge of the slot and movesmember 26 slightly in aclockwise direction, thus actuating the lever 3| forwardly. This permitsthe latch 34 to reengage latch 25 under the influence of the spring 3|.This reengagement of the latch portions 25 and 34 does not operate tolatch the supporting member 9 in its operative or supporting positionbut merely resets the latch mechanism for subsequent operation.

When it is desired to again use the iron, the user grasps the handle inthe normal manner and exerts downward pressure, causing the iron to movetoward the ironing surface, thereby bringing the supporting membersubstantialh into its inoperative position. In this manner, the ironitself is used as a lever or fulcrum to bring the supporting member intoits inoperative position and little pressure is necessary to effect thisaction, particularly since the iron is of substantial weight and tendsof itself to move downward. During the movement of the iron the actionof the mechanism is as follows:

Since member 26 is effectively interlocked with lever I8, as the iron ismoved downward the pin I3 rides on cam arm 21 and rotates members 26 andI8 counter-clockwise slightly. As the lower end of lever IB moves awayfrom its stop (head of screw 24), the distance between the springanchorage points I5 and I9 is increased, placing spring I1 under greatertension. The spring tension increases until pin I3 reaches the highpoint on cam 21. As the pin passes over the high point of the cam, theexcess energy stored in spring I1 is now directed through the down pitchon cam 21 against pin I3 to rotate the support member 9counter-clockwise until the pressure of pin I3 on cam 21 is relieved,permitting the spring I1 to rotate lever I8 clockwise. During thismovement the member 26 is also rotated through latch 3|, and the feetIll have entered recesses II and come to rest above the ironing surface.

It will be noted that the member 26 constitutes a retaining member whichis movable from its effective position of Fig. 1 to its ineffectiveposition of Fig. 2 by means of latch 3|. Moreover, the retainer member26 is moved to its effective position when the iron is lowered from theposition of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 1. It willfbe noted also that themechanism employed causes the spring I1 to assist in the latchingoperation toward the end of the downward movement of the iron.

Thus, it will be seen that when the iron is in use, the user has only totrip the latching mechanism through the medium of member 35 and thiscauses the parts to move automatically to the position shown in Figure4. Moreover, when the user desires to again use the iron, it is onlynecessary to grasp the handle-in the usual way and exert slight downwardpressure, whereupon the support is returned to and automatically latchedin its inoperative position. It will be seen, therefore, that there isno need to lift the iron at any time and the supporting mechanismrequires a very small amount of energy to operate the same.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with reference toa specic form of the device, it will be understood that various changesand modications are possible without departing from the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a flat-iron, a body, a stationary handle on said body, a supportpivotally mounted at the rear of said body and comprising a pair of legsextending forwardly of the iron, whereby the iron is tiltably movablerelative to said support, spring means arranged to move the iron upwardto its supported position, and means responsive to downward manualmovement of the iron for lifting said support away from the operatingsurface and for maintaining the support Y in its inoperative positionagainst the action of said spring means.

2. In a fiat-iron, a body, a support pivotally mounted at the rear ofsaid body, said support comprising forwardly extending legs and an armextending angularly with respect to said legs, spring means arranged tomove the iron upward relative to the support, a retaining memberarranged cooperatively with said arm and movable to eiective andineffective positions, said member in its eective position being adaptedto move the support into its inoperative position and maintain it insaid position in response to manual downward movement of-the iron,relatively movable latch members adapted to hold said retaining memberresiliently in its effective position during downward movement of theiron, and manual means operative on said latch members to release saidretaining member, thereby to permit upward movement of the iron underthe influence of said spring means.

3. In a fiat-iron, a body, a stationary handle at least part of which ishollow aiixed to said body, a support pivotally mounted at the rear ofsaid body, said support comprising forwardly extending legs and an armextending angularly with respect to said legs into said handle, springmeans arranged to move the iron upward relative to the support, andmeans including a retaining member arranged cooperatively with said armwithin said handle and operative in response to manual downward movementof the iron to move the support to its inoperative position and maintainit in said position,

4. In a flat-iron, a body, a stationary handle at least part of which ishollow axed to said body, a support pivotally mounted at the rear ofsaid body, said support comprising forwardly extending legs and an armextending angularly with respect to said legs into said handle, springmeans arranged to move the iron upward relative to the support, meansincluding a cam member arranged cooperatively with said arm andoperative in response to manual downward movement of the iron to movethe support to its inoperative position and maintain it in saidposition, and manually operable means for rendering said cam memberineffective, thereby to permit upward movement of the iron under vtheinuence of said spring means.

5. In a flat-iron, a body, a support thereon movable between asupporting position and a retracted position above an ironing surface, aspring interconnected between said body and said support and arranged tourgethe iron upward to its supported position, whereby downwardmovementof the iron from its supported position stores energy in said spring,and means responsive downward manual movement of the iron onto saidsurface for causing said spring to retract the support above the ironingsurface.

6. In a fiat-iron, a body, a support mounted on said body and movablerelative thereto to supporting and retracted positions, and a mechanismoperatively associated with said support for actuating the same to itssupporting and retracted positions, said mechanism comprising an elementrigidly associated with said support, a. pivoted element on said bodyarranged cooperatively with said rst element, said elements that saidpivoted element is normally urged toward said rst element by said memberacting through the intermediary latching means, whereby said spring maybe caused to actuate said support to its supporting position by therelease of said latching means, and the spring is caused to retract thesupport fully whenever said elements' are relatively moved beyond theirdead center position in a direction to retract the sup- '7. In afiat-iron, a body, a stationary handle on said body, a support movablymounted on said body, whereby the iron is movable relative to saidsupport to a raised position above the operating surface, spring meansarranged to 'move the iron upward to its supported position, and meansresponsive to downward manual movement of the iron for lifting saidsupport away from the operating surface and for maintaining the supportin its inoperative position against the action of said spring means.

8. In a flat-iron, a body, a stationary handle on said body, a supportmovably mounted on said body, whereby the iron is movable relative tosaid support to a raised position above the operative surface, springmeans arranged to move the iron upward to its Supported position, meansresponsive to downward manual movement of the iron for lifting saidsupport away from the operating surface and for maintaining the supportin its inoperative position against the action ofsaid spring means, andmanual means operable at will to render said last-named meansineffective so as to permit upward movement of the iron under theinfluence of said spring means.

9. In a fiat-iron, a body, a stationary handle on said body, a supportmovably mounted on said body, whereby the iron is movable relative tosaid support to a raised position above the operating surface, springmeans arranged to move the iron upward to its supported position, andmeans responsive to downward manual movement of the iron for liftingsaid support away from the operating surface and for maintaining thesupport in its inoperative position against the action of said springmeans, said last-named means comprising a mechanism having a dead centerposition through which it passes just prior to the engagement of theiron with the operating surface.

ROBERT O. STEVENSON.

